Metal Oxide films, such as Tantalum Oxide (Ta2O5), have been extensively utilized in various fields of technology. Traditionally these oxides have been applied as protective coatings. [Vapor Deposition of Tantalum and Tantalum Compounds by Trkula, Proceedings 125th Meeting of TMS (Tantalum Symposium), 1996]. A thin layer of Ta2O5 is expected to help significantly reduce leakage current for charge storage capacitors for DRAMs in ULSI and low-inductance decoupling capacitors for the control of simultaneous switching noise (SSN) in high-speed switching ULSI chips. (Tantalum Oxide Thin Films for Microelectronic Applications by Fang-Xing Jiang, Rochester Institute of Technology Theses Oct. 31, 1995).
Metal Nitride films, such as Tantalum Nitride (TaNx wherein x is approximately 1) have been utilized in various fields of technology. Traditionally these nitrides have been applied as hard and decorative coatings but during the past decade they have increasingly been used as diffusion barrier and adhesion/glue layers in microelectronic devices [Applied Surface Science 120 (1997) 199-212]. Ta(NMe2)4 for instance has been examined as a vanadium source for chemical vapor deposition of TaNx [Chemical Vapor Deposition of Vanadium, Niobium, and Tantalum Nitride Thin Films by Fix et al., Chem. Mater. 1993, 5, 614-619].
Gust et al. disclose the synthesis, structure, and properties of niobium and tantalum imido complexes bearing pyrazolato ligands and their potential use for the growth of tantalum nitride films by CVD. Polyhedron 20 (2001) 805-813.
Elorriaga et al. disclose asymmetric niobium guanidinates as intermediates in the catalytic guanylation of amines (Dalton Transactions, 2013, Vol. 42, Issue 23 pp. 8223-8230).
Tomson et al. disclose the synthesis and reactivity of the cationic Nb and Ta monomethyl complexes [(BDI)MeM(NtBu)][X] (BDI=2,6-iPr2C6H3—N—C(Me)CH—C(Me)-N(2,6-iPr2C6H3); X=MeB(C6F5)3 or B(C6F5)4) (Dalton Transactions 2011 Vol. 40, Issue 30, pp. 7718-7729).
A need remains for developing liquid or low melting point (<50° C. at standard pressure), highly thermally stable, Tantalum-containing precursor molecules suitable for vapor phase film deposition with controlled thickness and composition at high temperature.